is there anyone out there like me??

this is not a rant or whine. 

Purely informational.

I am happy that I had bypass done, but... I did not have any sense of a tool to support me until I purposely went off the rails today.

For 16 weeks I have struggled with maintaining a strict food intake and always feeling hungry an hour or so after eating. I have tried to increase water, but that flows right thru. I have eaten dense protein as soon as it was allowed, and never had an issue. I have jokingly said I could eat a bale of hay without a problem! I have never had a feeling satisfaction or fullness since surgery swelling went away. I log every bite religiously on MFP. I have done this many times before on diets, only to put the weight back on. I longed for the "tool" that was supposed to be there.

Today I purposely ate some milk chocolate to see what would happen. ( yes, I'm in therapy) I needed to prove to myself that there was something for me to fall back on. Well, I felt crappy for an hour and I thought that was it. NOT! I am now a shakey mess, weak in the knees, headache, yuck. I am glad and learned a valuable lesson. It does take work, but if you get off track you can count on a smack in the face to smarten you up!!

I hope if there is someone else out there that feels/felt like I do/did, you can get some comfort in knowing you aren't the only one!!

I'm worried I will feel the same thing you are describing here. I am only 2 weeks post-op but already am thinking about having a piece of deep dish pizza whenever it's allowed. I feel like I am obsessing over food now more than I ever have in my life. I know it's not totally related to what you've posted but I feel for you.

I had food fantasies in the beginning. They seem to be fading away!

Everyone must have something weird about their experience.  I DO feel full after eating 3 oz. and I try to make most of that a protein.  My problem is sweets -- I've had almost no problem with dumping.  At times I wish I did.  I have always been a sweets freak, and worried that I would never enjoy them again when I had surgery only to find out that I can eat most sweets, but can't tolerate wine or hard ciders (not a beer or soda drinker).  The 3 times that I have dumped (and fairly severely) were all after having a glass of wine or couple of sips of Stongbow.  Not a big deal for me - I've never been a big drinker.  I gave myself free reign through the holidays to have my sweets and am now stopping them.  I know if I allow them in my diet that I will not lose the way I want to or will regain in the end.

I'm sorry you're experiencing the trouble you are.  I can only suggest that you talk with your doctor about it and ask for alternative eating plans that will help you feel full.  It's good that you found out you can't tolerate sweets.  Definitely a plus for you!  Your weight loss seems to be going well - so keep up the good work!  Best of luck to you :)

I was really afraid I would tolerate sweets too. I'm glad I didn't feel well, as weird as that sounds.

Thanks for your words of support!

Unfortunately our body can adapt. The more you try sweets, the more your body may become tolerant to. 

Both, I and my friend, were dumpers.  I decided to stop eating grains and most sweets. She had bite here and there...I still get really sick if I eat any sweets. She had the sweets often, bite here and there..Rice, bread, even pasta. Over last 7 years her body adapted.  She can eat a normal dessert.  And she regained 100 lbs from the 120 she lost.  I am at goal.

 Just recently she told me "the surgery did not work for me". We had the same surgeon, same procedure. She can drink sweet tea now..And soda. (She could not 6 years ago) ...She is often hungry - craving carbs. 

The surgery didn't fail her, she failed the surgery.  

Don't count on dumping...Don't test the waters...

That's my plan- to just assume that I will dump, and not test the waters.

Since so many liked your response, I'm not sure you all understand my frustration. I put myself out there to find someone like me. Although we all had our stomachs' resized and sm. intestines rerouted, our bodies donot respond the same way. And certainly our brains mix everything up too!

well... I had my surgery on 5/2008.  Not 2 days or month or years are the same. One day I can eat and eat and eat... almost anything almost any qty.  Then things switch and a couple of bites of food are more than enough. I could eat 2 servings of regular cheesecake one day, then a few days later a few bites of the same thing can make me very sick for 24-48 hours,  (and not because it is old).

In 8 years I learned that i will never know how my gut would react to food.  Some foods - I don't even bother with. Getting sick one or 2 times was bad enough.  The rest - I learned the "signals" when something is just "no good- no go". They can be very slight.

You are no different that most of us... You may stay that way (rather easy journey) or not... 

i.e. today I had 3 brownies... (WLS friendly) , followed up by butter fried pork loin +butternut squash, with 3/4 of a clementine. Followed by a bowl of yogurt with proteins and fruits,., all in 1.5 hour time.. I am full.. really full... But most of my days - more often - I have all of that in a whole day ... not in a one long meal.   But... I may not be able to eat late today... and since I am 10 lbs below my goal - I am trying to eat as much as I can to gain some muscles weight...so ..if I am hungry and I can eat- I eat... 

a few days ago - I had coffee... then later I had a few slices of ham for lunch, with 1/2 SF pickle. Tea and coffee (black) as snack.... then dinner was 3 scallops, 1 shrimp and a few bites of cucumber.  LNS was 12 almonds and 1 clementine.   That was it. I was not very hungry, and I got full very fast. 

you are still early post op. your nerves had been cut. They may heal or not.  app 4 month post op I started feeling real restrictions. 

For you to try sweets to see if you react - it is a red flag. a huge red flag.  Don't do that. 

The goal after WLS is to relearn what a proper portion looks like, to measure your food, and train yourself to be satisfied with that amount.  Many of us (myself included) have used that full sensation as an emotional crutch.  A full stomach comforts us.  After surgery we sometimes find it difficult to stop chasing that full feeling.  I am a food addict who will never be able to rely on my stomach to tell me if I'm full.  My stomach has lied to me all my life and lead me right down the path to obesity.  If you eat until you feel full, you have eaten too much.  As a food addict, I do not know what a proper portion looks like.  For this reason, I still measure every bite (I'm going on 7 years out).  If I don't, I know I will over eat at every meal. Try to remember that the absence of "full" does not mean "hungry".  You may be dealing with head hunger or excess stomach acid too.  I never feel hungry and I never feel full.  It has become my new normal.  It takes time to retrain your head to accept the new lifestyle required to succeed.

We who dump on sugar and starchy foods can use that yucky, sick, shakey, feeling to keep us on the straight and narrow.